Ace Trainer vs Ace Trainer
by albuggs
Summary: Ace Trainers, Micah and Portia, go head to head in the Oromar Battlers' League quarterfinals. Here we learn what puts Ace Trainers a peg above the rest.


Both trainers took their places at either side of the battle court. Approximately 50 feet of asphalt with the white markings outlining their respective halves of the battlefield was the only thing between the two Ace Trainers, who both felt miles away from the humble beginnings of their Pokemon journeys.

Portia took a confident stance and stared with a furrowed brow at her opponent, Micah. Both trainers, at 17-years old, had worked tirelessly with their Pokemon to get to this point in the Oromar Battlers League Championship, and neither were anywhere near ready to be sent home just yet.

"Battlers, are you ready to begin?" The compere called aloud - Micah flicked his long fringe from his eyes and nodded sternly, never failing to break eye-contact with Portia, who raised her hand in affirmation.

"The preliminary battle between Portia and Micah will now begin; each trainer may use three Pokemon and may substitute at any time they choose. The first trainer to have all three of their Pokemon faint will be knocked out of the tournament and the winner shall progress on to the quarterfinals. Both trainers will release their Pokemon on my signal; prepare yourselves-" the ref announced; Micah pulled his leading pokéball from his tracksuit pocket, as did Portia; "-trainers, begin!"

Both Ace Trainers flung their pokéballs out onto the field; from the immediate flash of liquid light, two very different creatures appeared.

"Vanilluxe!" Portia announced as her bizarre Pokemon that resembled a floating, cartoonish-faced ice cream hewn from translucent crystal bobbed into view.

"Rapidash!" Micah's fiery stallion burst from inside its pokéball, whinnying majestically as it reared up onto its hind legs, its mane and hooves ablaze with scorching bonfire orange flames. Portia moved quickly, outstretching Vanilluxe's pokéball and instantly recalling the ice-type, swapping it for another choice.

"Heh, if you were a real trainer you wouldn't be afraid of a little type disadvantage" Micah bragged, sweeping his pine green fringe from in front of his arched brow. Portia smiled,

"We worked hard to get here, I'm not taking any chances! Kecleon!" she replied, bringing out her second teammate, an animated green creature, standing at about only a foot high, which Micah recognised as the camouflaging pokémon, Kecleon. The reptilian creature looked around erratically, taking in its surroundings through beady black pupils.

"Rapidash, Quick Attack! Let's kick things off" Micah ordered as Rapidash lowered its horned crown and charged with lightning speed, a trail of embers left in its wake. However, as soon as Rapidash was about to collide with Kecleon, the small green Pokemon disappeared completely, fizzling into nothingness. Rapidash skidded to a halt before Portia, trumpeting in bewilderment.

"Wha-? Where did it go?" Micah thought out loud, Portia folded her arms and smiled smugly before all of a sudden Kecleon flickered into sight, suspended high in midair as if catapulted from where it had been standing with its trainer moments before. Micah gasped in shock, "It camouflaged?! But what was that just there?".

"Sucker Punch!" Portia ordered; Kecleon somersaulted as it began to descend, drawing back its tiny fist before walloping Rapidash hard in its jaw! The flaming stallion cried out in agony as its knees buckled and it was thrown to the ground with the surprising force of the sucker punch. Kecleon landed adeptly before Portia, completely unscathed and awaiting its next command.

"Rapidash, get up, please! How did you do that Portia, that Quick Attack should've been a critical hit on Kecleon!" Micah yelled from the confinements of his ring, clearly desperate to run out on the field and check Rapidash's status, if not for his immediate disqualification for being out of bounds.

"It's our Substitute strategy; Kecleon and I have been working hard to perfect it!" Portia gussied, "the moment a battle starts, Kecleon casts a substitute of itself then hides to deliver a sucker punch sneak attack. Impressed, Micah?" Micah was indeed impressed at how Portia's Kecleon knew exactly how to move, without even a command from its trainer.

"Heh, I guess so" Micah smiled coyly, noticing Rapidash stir as it began to regain steadiness; "but strategy only gets you so far - Rapidash, Bounce!" the Ace Trainer added, his Pokemon immediately projecting itself onto all fours with such force that it was able to easily spring 20 feet into the air.

"Kecleon use Screech to bring it crashing down!" Portia surged, pointing up at the looming silhouette in the sky that was Rapidash, it's front hooves poised to pummel Kecleon like a falling anvil. Kecleon emitted a shrill battlecry that made Micah shudder; rippling waves of sonic energy shrouded Rapidash as it began to descend, throwing it off balance as its eyes clenched shut in ear-splitting agony.

"Rapidash, come down!" Micah bellowed over Kecleon's cries; Rapidash arched its back and launched itself downward, its front hooves pummelling Kecleon with enough force to send it skidding across the field, its body throbbing from the up-close assault. Portia cried out for her partner as Micah punched the air in his imagined premature victory.

"Kecleon, Shadow Claw!" Portia commanded; Kecleon quickly recovered, flipping onto its hind legs with its eyes leering menacingly at Rapidash, who lowered its head in anticipation for its next command. Kecleon's short nails glowed dark purple as they extended outward to become thick, foot-long knives. It launched itself toward Rapidash, tearing across the battle court, claws slashing in front of its now disproportionately small body.

"Rapidash, Stomp that lizard back into the ground!" Micah bellowed; Rapidash reared up onto its hind legs, brandishing its flaming hooves before Kecleon, who brought its Shadow Claw attack slashing upward. Rapidash nimbly hopped backwards on its hind legs, edging itself out of reach from Kecleon's swipes three times over whilst bringing its front legs thundering down to stomp on its attacker. Both Pokemon were at a deadlock - each one too quick for the other, until at last Kecleon narrowly avoided Rapidash's heavy body slam and swiftly brought its long, scythed claws slashing upwards to deliver a critical blow to its opponent's chest. The long shadowy nails flickered out of sight as the stallion Pokemon screeched in agony and was sent reeling backwards, four long dark gashes across its midriff. Micah called out to his Pokemon as its face contorted in agony;

"Kecleon, finish it with another Shadow Claw!" Portia ordered. Kecleon unsheathed its long ominous claws for a second time as it darted back towards Rapidash, who was still buckled under the pain of its previous attack.

"Fire Blast, head on!" Micah bellowed; with Kecleon mere feet from Rapidash, it's shadow claws drawn high in poise for attack, Rapidash released a torrent of scorching flames from its mouth. The star-shaped fireball engulfed Kecleon who shrieked in pain as the sheer force of the imminent Fire Blast lifted it off its feet and into the air, where it soon after plummeted to the ground, lying in a crumpled, charred heap at Portia's feet, unmoving.

"Kecleon is unable to battle, Rapidash is the winner!" The ref declared, raising his right arm to signal Micah's first defeat as the trainer cheered for his Pokemon.

"Oh no, Kecleon! Return and take a rest" Portia said softly, recalling Kecleon to its pokéball, which she replaced for another. "Not the start we were hoping for but not all's lost yet, Vaniluxe, you're back in the game!" she yelled, tossing out the same ball that she led with, which unleashed the familiar floating ice cream.

"Trainers, begin!" the ref bellowed. Micah smiled,

"And here I thought you were afraid of a little type disadvantage" he bragged,

"No chance, I was just waiting for the right moment - Vaniluxe, prepare yourself for another Fire Blast!" Portia warned. Micah smiled,

"We're clearly too predictable - Rapidash, Fire Blast!" The fiery stallion had regained steadiness on its feet now; it reared up, neighing as it thrashed its fiery hooves before exhaling another inferno of star-shaped flames which scorched a trench across the battle court as it loomed towards Vaniluxe. The ice-type became shrouded in the flames, its big cartoon eyes bulged in pain, but it remained air-borne for several seconds before Portia made her move.

"Mirror Coat!" She cried; Vaniluxe glowed with an iridescence which seemed to swallow the remains of Rapidash's Fire Blast.

"Oh no!" Micah panicked, knowing what was coming; Vaniluxe all of a sudden unleashed a surge of dazzling white energy which rippled back across the battle court and threw Rapidash off its feet and into the air, before crashing to the ground before its trainer's feet, completely still.


End file.
